Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Hightower holds the all-time records at Richmond for most yards rushing in a game (295 at Bucknell 9/27/07), season (1,924 in 2007) and career (3,712). He is also the top scoring back in Richmond history, with 20 in 2007, and 34 in his career.

A particularly fitting element of his induction speech was his appreciation to the Spiders staff for giving him an opportunity (and scholarship) even after he was injured in his final season at Episcopal High School (via John O’Connor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch):

“It seemed like the end of the world,” Hightower said. A scholarship was his ticket to a college education. “Where am I going to go?” Hightower asked himself. For a while, there was no answer.

He started getting phone calls from Jim Reid, the University of Richmond’s coach at the time, and Jeff Hanson, one of Reid’s assistants. They visited Hightower in Alexandria.

“The next thing you know, I’ve got a scholarship to the University of Richmond, which I knew nothing about,” Hightower recalled on Saturday, when he was inducted into the UR athletics hall of fame.

“It truly was a blessing. I went from this kid who was very unsure of his future, had no clue what the next day held, to being a kid with a support system, with a coaching staff, with teammates, who helped me become somebody who people respect.”

Interestingly, Hightower finds himself in a similar situation going into free agency this offseason. Teams that had previously been following his contract season closely were certainly disheartened by his injury in Week 7 against the Panthers.

Now, no matter where he ends up, Hightower has announced that he intends to be ready for the start of training camp this season. Although there are some good and bad days, he also reported that his rehab is going well (via the Richmond Times-Dispatch):

“You have those days when you wake up and you’re a little sore, and you’re thinking you’re not doing better. And then you go out there and do something functionally that you couldn’t do last week. That lets you know you’re progressing.”

“I don’t know how to throttle down. I don’t know how to back off,” said Hightower, Washington’s leading rusher (321 yards on 84 carries) before suffering the torn ligament in his left knee.

Hightower also told reporters that he hopes and expects to be back in Washington next year, keeping him close to his Alexandria, Va. home.

Congratulations to Tim on the well-deserved honor after a dazzling Richmond Spiders career.

The Redskins haven’t signed the splashiest free agents or made the type of trades that shock and awe, but they continue to make savvy moves and get younger. The weekend trade of defensive end Vonnie Holliday to the Cardinals in exchange for Tim Hightower in another move in a highly tactical offseason.

Hightower was born in Santa Ana, Calif., but grew up in Alexandria, Va., attending Episcopal High School. After attending the University of Richmond, he was on the radar of many Redskins fans, who wanted him and join forces with Clinton Portis. Now he’s on his way back to the East Coast.

Hightower has pretty much everything that you look for in a running back for any offense: ability to run outside or between the tackles, ability to catch out of the backfield, and a great threat in the redzone. He also has playoff and Super Bowl experience, and only earned a ticket out of Arizona because of depth. Read more »